Examples of BANAL

The more banal, the more commonplace, the more predictable, the triter, the staler, the dumber, the better. —Don DeLillo, Mao II, 1991

… it seemed to me that computers have been used in ways that are salutary, in ways that are dangerous, banal and cruel, and in ways that seem harmless if a little silly. —Tracy Kidder, The Soul of a New Machine, 1981

The instructor's script is banal, relying heavily on images of waves on a beach or clouds in the sky. —Maxine Kumin, “Wintering Over,” 1979, in In Deep, 1987

Synonym Discussion of BANAL

insipid, vapid, flat, jejune, banal, inane mean devoid of qualities that make for spirit and character. insipid implies a lack of sufficient taste or savor to please or interest <an insipid romance with platitudes on every page>. vapid suggests a lack of liveliness, force, or spirit <an exciting story given a vapid treatment>. flat applies to things that have lost their sparkle or zest <although well-regarded in its day, the novel now seems flat>. jejune suggests a lack of rewarding or satisfying substance <a jejune and gassy speech>. banal stresses the complete absence of freshness, novelty, or immediacy <a banal tale of unrequited love>. inane implies a lack of any significant or convincing quality <an inane interpretation of the play>.